SquidgeWorld Archive

A Galaxy Far, Far Away
By SaraC
lexsara@yahoo.com

Major John Sheppard smiled as he looked around at the people gathered in what had been affectionately named the Atlantis Lounge. McKay had lobbied for the "Gathering Room" -- but both Ford and Beckett had accused him of watching too much "Highlander."

Athosians young and old were settled on blankets around the room, mixed in with various Stargate Atlantis personnel. In the three months they had been in the city, most of the Athosians had settled in and were now helping with the daily operations of the city. Many were quite apt once taught various technical skills, and their own knowledge of both the Wraith and the other worlds in the Pegasus Galaxy made them even more valuable. There was still some tension between the two peoples, but many of the trust issues had worked themselves out and even Dr. Weir was beginning to relax more in their presence.

Knowing that cooperation and respect would make living and working in Atlantis much easier, he had come up with a way to further relations, not to mention provide a little amusement amid the fear of an eminent Wraith attack. After getting Dr. Weir's approval, he'd instigated a -community' night, although they were still debating over what to name these weekly gatherings. It consisted of all Athosians and SGA personnel in the city that could spare time, participating in some activity that allowed them to learn about each others cultures. So far, nearly everyone living in the city had turned out for the events, and he was happy to note it looked like they were a success.

So far, these gatherings had resulted in a -games' night, with the Athosians seeming to have an aptitude and enjoyment for both poker and chess, spurred on by some very talented Russians among the SGA crew who were willing to teach the skills. Another week saw the Athosians enlightening the base on the making of their -stout' tea and telling stories about exploring other worlds and planets, despite the fear of the Wraith. It had been an emotional night, but he felt they all walked away with a firmer sense of understanding about where each came from.

What had proved to be most popular of all the nights events however, not to his surprise, was "movie night." A good deal of the SGA personnel, to Weir's amusement, had brought along DVD's they'd burned of their favorite movies or TV programs as their -one personal item,' the ability to store files on zip and disc drives coming in handy.

Amazingly, or perhaps not so much, while fooling around one day with what looked like large panel flat screens, he had found they accepted DVD's--as evidenced by his first -football' lesson with his team. Ever since that had taken off, with Teyla telling the Athosians about watching -football,' they had been eager to learn more about -movies.' Once it was discovered there were movies on base, movie nights began.

So far, along with his prized football game, they'd covered an interesting variety of films, including Casablanca (which lead to an interesting discussion of Nazi's and the world wars), Moulin Rouge (if he heard one more person singing the "Elephant Love Medley" or "Come What May" while standing outside, overlooking the vast ocean surrounding them, he would be forced to shoot them. He supposed it was better than Titanic however), Jerry Maguire (ditto for the children on base who'd spent the weeks shouting "SHOW ME THE MONEY!" when they'd seen him in the hall) and most recently, The Princess Bride (he'd threatened to shoot Beckett and Grodin when he-d come across them reenacting the -duel- between Inigo Montoya and the Six Fingered man, complete with cheering on by Jinto, Wex and numerous other children watching. Surprisingly, they dueled well). He couldn't help but find amusement in the fact that the Athosians, adults and children alike, were fascinated by the movies, begging him to tell them -stories' from his favorite movies on their weekly -story night.' His tales of Freddy and Jason not withstanding, the children loved listening, and to his surprise, he found himself enjoying their company as well. It also made movie nights that much more fun, when the kids could see the stories he'd told come to life on screen.

Tonight however, they were going for an all time classic, a story he'd told them just a few days ago was one of his favorites, despite what people might think.

"You know, I can still remember the first time I saw Star Wars--and was fascinated by the idea that there were other galaxies and evils such as Darth Vader out there. Of course, I never realized that George Lucas was not that far off from reality until I learned about the Stargate, the Gou-ald and now the Wraith."

"Not to mention we're having movie night in the lost city of Atlantis. Disney couldn't have imagined this when they made that movie a few years ago."

He smiled as he heard two familiar voices next to him and turned to face them. "I'm thinking the Wraith have nothing on Vader, Liz," he offered lightly, smiling as she laughed before he turned to Peter. "And you know, I did see that movie and surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. Although I think they might have borrowed a bit from Doctor Jackson, according to what General O'Neill told me about him before we left Earth." He smiled as they both laughed and began talking about the similarities as he watched.

They all had an unspoken agreement to use first names when they were relaxing together--a little something that made Atlantis and the family they were creating there, feel a bit more like home. He was surprised to find how easy it was to switch from -professional' to -personal'--but figured it had more to do with being stranded in a galaxy light years away from their former home.

"Well, I just hope you're prepared for Jinto and Wex to create light sabers and challenge to you constant duels when you're on base."

He laughed at Aidan's dry voice as the younger man appeared on his other side. "Well, they'd better be prepared. Among other things, I know how to wield a light saber pretty well." He heard Liz's snort of laughter but remained silent.

"You know, personally, ah think we should have chosen Attack of the Clones, or Phantom Menace. It wouldn't hurt -em to see a Scotsman on the big screen."

He rolled his eyes at Beckett's comment, unable to hold back his laughter as Mackay chimed in with a comment of his own.

"Well, they need more Canadians in these things. Scottish actors are a dime a dozen. Connery, MacGregor, you name it, they're everywhere. Now Canadian actors, well, that's a different story."

"Okay, knock off the nationality one-upmanship, it's time to start the movie." He hid a grin again as both Doctors shot him annoyed looks. Annoyed looks, he noted, that were quickly replaced with smiles of pleasure as both men were joined by two pretty Athosian women who had made it clear they were interested in both doctors respectively. It was actually quite amusing to watch Mackay with a woman--he was a bit more sarcastic than usual, but with a touch of humor that was gentler than what he normally used. Beckett, well, the poor man simply looked happy a pretty woman was looking at him twice.

"I find myself looking forward to learning more about this -Force' Dr. Mackay was telling us about." Teyla's soft voice had them all turning to the woman with smiles.

"I want to see this galaxy far, far away Lieutenant Ford mentioned," chimed in Jinto before anyone could answer. Sheppard grinned as he ruffled the young boy's hair, earning a smile from Halling. He knew the younger boy had somewhat of a hero complex involving him, and while it made him nervous, he had to admit, he found himself thinking twice before doing something rash, if only for the looks he would see in the eyes of the children and the people he'd come to admire and respect.

"Well, settle back, get comfortable, grab some popcorn and we'll get started." Sheppard grinned as he wove his way through the crowd, exchanging greetings with those gathered around the large room. Reaching the front, he turned and motioned for silence.

The time has come for you, our new friends," he gestured to the Athosians, "to learn about a galaxy that," he paused and grinned at his team as they smiled at him from their seats at the back of the room, "that until we discovered Atlantis, seemed very far, far away." Hearing groans from the SGA based personnel, getting confused looks from everyone else, he continued. "Either way, tonight's movie is what humans on Earth, or at least one man, imagined our future might be like one day. Again, this is what's known as -fantasy' so it's not really, real-"

"John, shut up and start the movie."

He grinned and bowed at Liz's amused command, turning and punching the play button on the fairly advanced DVD player. He hadn't figured out what else to call it, although it looked nothing like a normal DVD player on Earth. Still, "play" seemed to be marked with a triangle in every universe, so he felt better.

Once the huge a flat screen the size of the wall, with clarity that put anything on Earth to shame was activated, he meandered back towards where Teyla and Liz were keeping a spot for him on the sofa. Settling comfortably into the familiar position, he found himself observing those around him rather than the movie he knew by heart.

Rodney and Carson were explaining to their female friends what was happening, both looking happier than he'd seen them in ages. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that events such as this proved that despite their strange quirks and at times irritating qualities, they were human and capable of behaving as if they were living normal lives, albeit in a galaxy, far, far away from home.

Aidan, Peter and Teyla were sharing a bowl of popcorn, the former two attempting to explain to the latter about Princess Leia's hair style. He had to hide a chuckle as he listened to the Athosian leader attempt to puzzle out why Leia appeared to be wearing doughnuts on both sides of her head. Peter was not doing too good a job of explaining, while Aidan simply looked amused.

He was not surprised to discover that over the past months, Aidan had become a trusted friend. Exploring planets, battling Wraith and saving each others lives countless times already had served to strengthen their friendship. Not to mention he was secretly amused with their never ending battle over -naming' things. The young man had also proven himself a witty companion and added to that, he loved football over hockey. That alone raised him in his estimation.

Teyla too had become a trusted friend, her knowledge and advice saving their butts time and time again. He knew that not all the Athosians were happy about living inside Atlantis, but thanks to Teyla's patience, everyone was beginning to come around. As for Teyla, he could not deny that not only was she was very beautiful, but she could wield a weapon like no other. Her skills as a warrior and as a wise leader were invaluable and he knew he would have been dead many times over if she were not on his team. Not to mention he loved educating her about things that he, and those from Earth, enjoyed. He'd promised to teach her, Jinto, Wex and Halling to play football one of these days and all he had to do was find a place to have a game. Not easy on a water planet, but everyone needed a dream.

A burst of laughter from Mackay had him turning his attention to Rodney. He grinned as he remembered their early days in Atlantis, testing his -shield device' by pushing him off the balcony and shooting him-- although in the leg. Despite the doctor's tendency to be a bit too literal or scientific, not to mention his annoying habit of dropping barbs here and there, he knew that Mackay was one of the smartest men he would ever meet. Also, one of the funniest, although he would never admit that to anyone. Still, it helped during those tense missions to be able to listen to him rant about something or the other, usually revolving back to him ending up dead. He knew it lightened the mood when things got dark and for that, he could forgive many things.

And then there was Liz. Giving his superior a sideways glance, he found her engrossed in the movie, although unconsciously twisting the pendant she wore on a thin chain around her neck. She never wore it in uniform, but on these casual nights, she never appeared without it. He sighed to himself, knowing she truly missed Simon, the man she'd left behind on Earth. He had been set to not like Dr. Elizabeth Weir, nearly come to blows with her their first few days in the city. But as time passed, he began to understand how she thought and went about things as she did for him and they'd developed a close working relationship and a rock solid friendship. While he occasionally wondered if there could be something more, (as he sometimes did with Teyla as well) he knew that for the moment, friendship was what everyone needed. Companionship would and could come in time, but the most important thing now was to focus on surviving and finding something that someday, could potentially save the universe from the likes of the Wraith and the Gou'ald.

Liz provided a friend he could talk to, especially one who would listen after a mission that had gone rough or wrong. Despite her intentions to interrupt, she'd learned to let him finish his story, before reassuring him that it would be all right. It was these conversations that showed a side to her that many did not see and one he was privileged she shared with him. They even talked about personal things, now and then, which was why he knew she was missing Simon, still feeling guilty over leaving him as she had. He'd often tried to reassure her that Simon, if he loved her, would understand, but even he had a hard time making himself believe that. Still, it did her good to talk about it when needed, and considering what she listened to for him in his times of need, it was only fair.

So there you had it, his team and his family--enhanced by Athosians of all ages, and the various SGA personnel who were finally overcoming their nationalities and becoming true Atlantians as they'd dubbed themselves. Even he couldn't find an argument for that name--considering it had been pretty much a universal decision among everyone living in Atlantis.

He'd wondered if he could handle a possible one-way trip to a distant galaxy, leaving everything familiar and known behind. He almost hadn't gone, despite General O'Neill's words during that helicopter ride. In fact, he suspected that if that quarter had turned up heads--he wouldn't be here today. But as he looked around him now, he realized that things worked out for a reason, and just maybe, some of those things the General had said to him, were true.

He had no close family left back on Earth, and a tarnished reputation that caused him hell wherever he went in the military. Here, he had a fresh start, with a group of people he was fast beginning to consider his family. Not to mention the worlds they explored, the people they met, even the battles with the Wraith, were more exciting than anything he could ever have dreamed.

Sitting here, listening to his friends, now family, joke and explain their way through the movie, he realized there was no other place he'd rather be.

Atlantis finally felt like home.